False Gods, Horus Heresy book 2

Where Dan Abnett's initial novel for the starting trilogy of the Horus Heresy lays the groundwork for the characters, the universe and possibly most importantly draws you in to care and value the people involved, it is not until Graham McNeil takes over with False Gods does the actual start of the Horus Heresy truly take place (ignoring certain facets pertaining to the Word Bearers etc if we are being pedantic).

False Gods predominately looks at the events on the moon of Davin where the Warmaster returns to a previously "complaint" system under the information given by Erebus, First Chaplain of the Word Bearers. What unfolds is often a well known piece of information for warhammer 40k enthusiasts (so anyone who isn't and genuinely wants it to be a surprise should look away now). Horus is struck by a weapon which harms him unto death, and the only aid that can potentially save him is in the care of the Davinite Priests.  The outcome leads to Horus's change in allegiance from his father to the forces of chaos. But the specifics as we've been told have often been shrouded in mystery. Why would they have trusted the priests with someone as precious to them as Horus? What lead to the rebellion against the Imperium on the Davin moon in the first place? How could someone as previously so utterly devoted to the Emperor fall so far. These were the questions people were looking for in False Gods, and Graham McNeil does, in my opinion, a pretty sound job of it.

All throughout (for most of us) you know what's coming, but you want so much to believe there is still a chance, that things might change, that people will survive the events as they unfold. I'd like to say its down to good story telling that even in the face of the inevitable you still can desire for a different outcome if the pull of the story teller is strong enough. The path the Luna Wolves take alongside their accompanying Remebrancers builds this attachment and hope, even to some of the ones you might know fall along a darker path. Following on from the trend in Horus Rising, it's often the smaller, not previously discussed members or events which often draw the most attention. Who is this person? What role do they play? Is there any likeliness they will survive? and probably most importantly whether they are a source for good, evil or quite often both.

(Aerion the faithful (http://aerion-the-faithful.deviantart.com/art/The-Mournival-113448588) has made some fantastic Horus heresy/Gw artwork. genuinely some lovely stuff (I believe this piece is technically property of Chris Borer, so all rights etc belong to him.)

Ultimately I probably preferred False Gods to Horus Rising, but then again I knew a lot more of what to expect from this novel, as Horus Rising laid down the ground work and this is more familiar territory. Obviously all three novels are intertwined to the point that their major differences comes simply from each different author's style. I think the settings and characters just see some growth and development in this book, and ultimately the environment was one I found more interesting and enjoyable on a personal level.

False Gods- 8.0 (8.5)/10-8.5 in relation to Horus Rising

A Thousand Sons vs. Prospero burns (Horus Heresy Book 12 vs. Book 15)

I decided to cover both books in this review because it made sense to investigate their positives and negatives on the same page. It may also have been to save writing two entirely separate reviews where I regularly made references to the other story.

I read A Thousand Sons first as that was the way it was published (despite being a die hard Space Wolves fan). Graham McNeil is the author, and proceeds just like in previous Horus heresy novels to delivery an intriguing insight story. This one delves into the life and world of the Thousands Sons space marine chapter, and their Primarch Magnus the Red. It travels through their exploits leading up to the calamitous events of the beginning of the Horus Heresy.

As with most of these stories it often tells the story from the point that there end result is already known to the viewer. So the majority of the story telling is down through explaining the journey, not the destination. I've always liked the Thousands Sons as a Chaos space marine chapter, as they often have this tragic story which make them seem significantly less evil then their other chaos marine counterparts.  I think also their very human search for truth and knowledge of everything is something that rings true with many of us (and certainly an influencing.factor over me). They happen to be quite a visually impressive army, predominantly made up of dark blue and golden army with heavy Egyptian aesthetics. They also happen to be the Space wolves most hated enemy, Which meant that unsurprisingly the story would be told from two sides. That of the Thousand sons, and that of the Space wolves. Ultimately I walked away from A Thousand Sons feeling sadly at the ultimately very human nature to their fall, the hubris and losses that could have been avoided if only things had been slightly different.

Prospero Burns is the story from the viewpoint of the Space wolves. Told by Dan Abnett,  the story should have been in good hands...and I say good hands because even having finished it after what I felt was a difficult start, by the authors standards I personally feel this is his weakest work I've read. So I've had a difficult time with it. I think I went into the book with a large number of heavily influencing pre-expectations regarding how it would play out, and it just didn't really do much or any of that. I think some of it was a common mistake I sometimes make which was going into the book expecting the same quality or style of another author, in this case William King and Lee Lightner's Ragnar 6 novel series. I love those books and the way the space wolves are portrayed, and this book has a very different feel.

The book takes the main perspective from a human (commonly remembrancers in other novels, this one is some what of a difference as he is not officially a remembrancer, though in many ways takes exactly the same form). He as a character is reasonably interesting, and a plot that runs the length of the novel is certainly one of the highlights of the book. Some of the Space wolves involved in the story are also interesting. Notable inclusions are Bear and Long Fang. The obvious inclusion of the Primarch of the Space Wolves Leman Russ where in my opinion some of the more interesting ones, but my comparison to A Thousand Sons I felt a little lacking. As a incredibly intelligent, powerful but also a very different character by comparison to the other Primarchs, I felt and opportunity was missed by not allowing a insight into his thinking and feelings. 

Probably one of the most notable additions is the introduction of the term "Vlka Fenryka" or Wolves of Fenris. Now I love the idea of using Norse influencing heavily in the mythology of the Space Wolves, but I feel it has gotten to the point in some circles to no longer actually refer to them by that name, but by Vlka Fenryka. Currently their is a lot of rumours going around that Imperial guard and Space marines will be getting a re-naming with the newer codex's. Whilst I understand from a legal perspective why GW might be interested in changing the names for IP reasons, I would hope everyone wouldn't start actually stop calling them Imperial Guard or Sisters of Battle. This seemingly persistent alteration to there supposed perspective of themselves is in my own opinion unnecessary and frustrating

Secondly is how the wolves are portrayed. In the Horus Heresy (so far from my reading) they've been represented as the final straw. The executioners (to quote the book). But whilst in other novels they have been portrayed as sometimes uncouth, or feral in there behaviour and mannerisms, they were never presented as borderline evil. Also atleast in 40k they are often loved by those systems that are under there protection, as Logan Grimnar is considered one of the if not the best loved warrior in the galaxy, so why is it that everywhere they go the wolves are considered something the Emperor should have never even created? Ultimately for me it feels like discontinuity in the overall story. I tried to tell myself that the 31st millennium is a different place from the 41st , but it was still hard to get to grips with. Ultimately I hope another novel portraying the Space Wolves comes out, one which shows a different time or place, or even just against a different foe and with only Space wolves, so you're not constantly getting the perspective of someone trying to understands them, but as one who ALREADY understand them.

I'm a pretty die-hard Space wolves fan, and I'm a big Dan Abnett fan, and so this novel should have really culminated in something really memorable from my perspective. But it just wasn't. I appreciate there are some pretty big fans of it out there, which i can completely understand is down to different experience or perspective, but it just wasn't right for me. I really enjoyed A Thousands Sons by comparison, even though it was portraying the Space Wolves as the villain, which I hope goes a long way to encourage people to read it.

A Thousand Sons- 8.5/10
Prospero Burns - 7/10

Fulgrim - Horus Heresy book 5

Graham McNeil presents his 2nd novel in the Horus heresy series. Fulgrim, somewhat unsurprisingly,  tells the story of the Primarch Fulgrim and his legion, the Emperor's children.

Before I immersing myself in the Horus Heresy novels the only Graham McNeil books I had read were the Sigmar Times of Legend trilogy.  Overall their pretty good books,  including lots of barbarian/celtic/norse-esque elements to the people in the stories (which compared to modern day Empire which are more Renaissance/Prussian-like).  Often the books show the birth of certain changes in the Empire, such as warhorses breed to wear armour, the discovery of black powder, the origins of flagellants and more. If you can over look certain bits of the story as being a manipulation of canon then the book reads very enjoyably (ok SPOILER: ill admit, I got caught up with Sigmar already having got Ghal Maraz his hammer and him not being chieftain of his tribe or even the Empire when it clearly states otherwise in many of the general warhammer rulebooks etc)

So barring that all in mind I find Graham McNeil stuff always enjoyable and fun, he keeps to the spirit of most of the Warhammer universe. So with Fulgrim, it's important remember that the story tries to encompass lots of different sections in the Fulgrim story, and so it is actually broken down in a large number of increasingly smaller chapters as the story goes on. Fulgrim as a Primarch doesn't terribly interest me, but I did find that I wanted to see into his personality, his relationship with his brother Ferrus Manus, and their polarity and yet similarities at the same time. The Iron Hands chapter plays a regular role in the story telling, and it was nice to read some of their story. Like with many of the Horus Heresy books covering the traitor chapters, it is all about telling the interesting story of their fall, how they were manipulated by force greater then themselves.

I think I read somewhere that reading Horus Heresy novels was often akin to watching a train wreck in slow motion, which given the obvious end out come that's not entirely surprising. But sometimes you forget that along that journey you might feel like a carriage here or there might some how miraculously arrive unscathed at the end, if shaken. I think Graham McNeil, and many of the other Black Library authors do a pretty excellent job of willing you to believe that some how there is a bright light for these victims in the play out, no matter how much you might know about their final outcome. If you're a fan of Emperor's children, Iron hands, stories involving the Primarchs or just the Horus Heresy it is definitely worth a read. For someone knew to it you've hopefully read the first 3-4 novels in the series anyways, in which case you're probably already hooked. One of the many nice things about the Horus Heresy is that Forgeworld produce some pretty exquisite models (if terribly expensive), but it's often nice seeing first hand how the giants of the stories looked.

Overall I'm given Fulgrim a 7.5/10. It sometimes is a little long (though for Emperor's children fans this is probably a good thing), however I do feel like it covers a lot of the important points about their history and evolution as followers of chaos.  For a fan of them i'd probably give it a 8.5-9/10. 

Gotrek and Felix Lost Tales

Gotrek and Felix Lost Tales is a collection of 3 short (previously released as Ebook) stories. The 4th and final is a printed version of the audio drama Curse of the Everliving (which I have already listened to).

Charnel Congress - Josh Reynolds

I was honestly a little surprised by this one. Josh Reynolds other Gotrek and Felix novel, Road of Skulls, leaves something a little to be desired....not that its a bad story, but maybe because I'm not sure where it fits in their adventures, and just doesn't have the feel Long and Kind impart to Gotrek. So when I finished reading this I was pleasantly surprised. Josh Reynolds puts together an excellent short story about the Slayer and his Remembrancer. It is fast paced, with the right level of action throughout the whole story, good villains and characters in general. it has an average setting, but I think that it a) needed to actually be set there, and b) helps it fit in with the overall story of Gotrek's travels in terms of not always having it in the same locations.

-7.5/8


The Reckoning- Jordan Ellinger

Based in Barak Varr and the surrounding areas, The Reckoning brings a good old fashion band of Dwarfs into the mix, and the most obvious of enemies, the Skaven, together. By sticking with the general idea, Jordan Ellinger takes us through a pretty decent Gotrek and Felix story, and that little bit to his timeline and history, whilst also present a very common adversary in a very interesting way (if your a skaven player you might find it good inspiration for your own army or units). Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I'm personally hope Ellinger releases a full length story whilst Nathan Long is on hiatus.

- 8

Into the Valley of Death- Frank Carvallo

This one is a rather unquie story, in that in focuses solely on Felix, in his life before meeting the Slayer. Whilst well written, I just feel that both Gotrek and Felix need each other to achieve that unique compliment in terms of story telling. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, and if you have Lost Tales don't ignore it, but it doesn't really add anything to the collective story of Gotrek and Felix. Probably the nicest part is this semi-background development for Felix having a character (who's name i've promptly forgotten) who helps nuture and give experience and advice to Felix, possibly explaining his ability in combat a little bit by the time he meets the Slayer. As a note Frank Carvallo's story telling however is spot on, would be interested to see him try a whole novel

- 7

Curse of the Everliving- David Guymer.

Curse of the Everliving was originally a audio drama by David Guymer, voiced by a professional voice actor (not Toby Longworth I believe). I listened to the audio drama first, and personally it was the most disappointing audio drama and Gotrek and Felix "thing" i've ever listened to. To make it clear, I think David Guymer put together a good story, it had the right elements to it for a short story.  Its just the awful voice overs. Gotrek sounds welsh. WHO THE FRICK THINKS WELSH IS THE MOST TERRIFYING LANGUAGE! I know that its in English, and so to differentiate the the "German" empire men, and the "?" Dwarven race was given welsh.....just a mistake. the story gets lost in the annoying accent.

So the problem is I never read the story, because its not really my thing to re-read stories so soon after listening to an audio drama.  Personally it's a pretty good story looking back on it.

Just don't read the audio drama.

-7/7.5

Gotrek and Felix 4th omnibus (Elfslayer, Shamanslayer, Zombieslayer)

The 4th omnibus see's Nathan Long become far more comfortable with his Gotrek and Felix writing, or rather, he settles into a medium where the story feels much more like a Gotrek and Felix novel should, and thus you can enjoy the story instead of feeling like a slightly less than Gotrek and Felix are playing out before you.

Elfslayer takes Gotrek and Felix via Marenburg, and then beyond, as unsurprisingly they find themselves involved with Elves (of the less nice kind). Obviously I don't want to give to much away, but if you enjoyed the banter between Teclis and Gotrek in Giantslayer then you'll definitely enjoy this. Elves have the potential to be much tougher appoints than your average human, and when you think that some of those he fights are born kills who've lived for hundreds of years training day in day out to be lethal it's all the more satisfying when he kicks ass. It also sees the return of two characters from the past both who make an enjoyable addition to the story. Elfslayer is kind of where I wish Giantslayer and lead directly onto, though without a lot of the back story it might not make any sense. Likeliness is if you've read all the stories this far you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Elfslayer 8/10

Shamanslayer see's the commencement of a story arc involving Gotrek and Felix and the return of another 2 important Gotrek and Felix characters. One of them we haven't seen since the original Trollslayer, and I think it's a sign of Nathan's growing skill that he reinvents them in the way he does. Overall for me that particular arc is the more interesting then the end result of the story, though in truth Shamanslayer and Zomebieslayer are tied/linked quite closely, and could be argued to be all part of the same story. Shamanslayers main protagonist are a horde of beastmen, and they've got a nifty trick up their sleeve which if used in a human city could spell the doom of the Empire.  It also includes a little side story involving Karaghul, and it's nice to see the special blade get it's own attention in the novel. Overall the story is probably better than Manslayer, but not as good as Elfslayer. Still very much worth a read, just wish he had continued with the Gotrek novels, who knows maybe he will come back to finish the story he was trying to tell.

Shamanslayer 7.5/10

Zomebieslayer is currently the last novel written by Nathan Long, and is a hell of a novel if you like the whole siege warfare/never ending horde appeal of the Undead. Caught after the events of Shamanslayer, Gotrek, Felix and co end up at Castle Reikgard, and important bastion against the forces arrayed against the Empire. If it falls death will surely come to the Empire, but how can the defenders stand against the horde outside of their walls when thing start happening which is undermining the defence, leading to questions about what is really going on at Castle Reikgard. Zombieslayer has elements of Beastslayer (siege warfare) to the story, but has a definitely different feel from say, Vampireslayer, which based on the name might have been what people were expecting. Overall it was a good story, though a bit bleak at points, but does that really surprise you when you see undead and siege beside each other?

Zombieslayer 8/10 if you love siege warfare, zombies and the undead and can face a very bleak ending. Otherwise probably a 7.5

Gotrek and Felix 3rd omnibus (Giantslayer, Orcslayer, Manslayer)

The 3rd Gotrek and Felix omnibus include the transition from the original author William King to the new author Nathan Long. Willaim King is probably my favourite Black Library author, and the Gotrek saga was a big mantel for Nathan to take over from. In all honesty, and especially in light of recent attempts by authors such as Josh Reynolds, Nathan does a pretty good job of taking on the mantel. Gotrek still feels like Gotrek and Felix the same, though obviously subtle differences may sometimes occur. The biggest change (and one which retrospectively makes sense) is that Nathan jumps 20 odd years into the future, which on the one hand leaves the ending of Giantslayer a little frustration, it does however all start to balance out as the series continues.

Giantslayer is the last Gotrek and Felix book by Willaim King, and follows on directly after the events of Vampireslayer. Inside Gotrek and Felix are magically transported to the fabled island of Albion, a island normally wreathed in mist to prevent outsiders from landing on mass, the island itself was the setting of those summer campaigns Games Workshop used to run (sadly it has been a while since they've done one, and they used to be something particularly to look forward to. Here's hoping that recent changes in company policy will eventually lead to their return). For clarification for those without any knowledge of the island, it's pretty much Scotland, with magic and giants. Gotrek and Felix are brought to the island, and seek to undo the scheming plot of two twin sorcerers of Tzeentch introduced back in Beastslayer (or Dragonslayer in reference). Along the way they meet a companion which Gotrek struggles not to put and axe through almost as much as the forces of Chaos. I'm talking about none other then the High-Mage Teclis himself who is a very interesting companion for the duo to travel alongside.

Giantslayer: 8/10 (Simply for the bit where Gotrek chops through a whole tree, otherwise a 7)

Orcslayer sees Gotrek and Felix return to the Old world, specifically the Dwarf port/Fortress of Barak Varr, and later the dwarf hold of Karak Hirn. Full of dwarf characters galore, and a substantial orc army, Orcslayer has a lot of what I personally enjoy in a Gotrek and Felix novel. It also investigates a lots of Gotrek past, and presents a very unique insight into his past before becoming a slayer. In many ways this book is just a enjoyable and captivating to read as previous novels such a Beastslayer and Vampireslayer, and it's hard to put my finger on many bad things in the novel to separate it from earlier works. There is plenty of dwarfy-ness, often a sure fire way for me to enjoy a book, but if i put it next to Dragonslayer or Skavenslayer I just feel that maybe the switch over to Long from King takes a few books to really get into.

Orcslayer 7/10

Manslayer see's Gotrek and Felix return to Nuln, the ill-fated city from the previous novel Skavenslayer. Manslayer has a lot in common with Beastslayer, in that the adventure's find themselves involved in plots and intrigue meant to case harm to the Empire and undermine it's efforts in the war against chaos in the ongoing invasion by Archaon. It has sees the re-appearance of a previous cast members, further deepening the plot (and giving room for a spin-off series "hint hint-nudge nudge"). I think Manslayer (for me atleast) see's Nathan getting to grip with the Gotrek and Felix series, and whilst it's not the best one i've ever read, I do feel it's a good stepping stone in his telling of the saga.

Manslayer 7/10

Gotrek and Felix 2nd omnibus (Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer)

The 2nd Gotrek and Felix omnibus follows on with another 3 books from William King, taking the story forward from the events at the end of Daemonslayer. Further involvement from their nemesis Thanquol, and the introduction of a new character in Ulrika are key inclusions. Questions like what is Gotrek's shame, what was his past life like, and what is the back story regarding Felix's blade are all delved into. A great selection of enemies in their myriad forms are included, and cover areas ranging from Kislev, and the World's Edge Mountains to Sylvania. Also I failed to mention in the earlier review the addition of Snorri Nosebitter (how i could forget is a great shame, in fact I may shave my head and dye it orange). Snorri often fills comic relief in the book, as well as showing another of the slayer cult in a different light. The companions go through their adventures together about the Old Word as the slayers seek their dooms.

Dragonslayer is possibly my second favourite book of the Gotrek Saga. Filled with lots of Dwarfs and their engineering innovations (I'm an engineer by trade, and have a preference for dwarfs if it wasn't obvious, which probably explains my personal bias to some of the novels). Heading back to the Old world after the events of Daemonslayer, the companions return to Karak Kadrin with Malakai Makaisson (another dwarf introduced in Daemonslayer I should have introduced). Unsurprisingly the events involve a dragon, and begin to show a plot line that is woven into the following 3-4 books in the series. The inclusion of a variety of slayers start to delve into dwarven culture a little more, and how various members of that grim society may become slayers. Also present are a nice handful of orcs and bandits for your pleasure. This story along with Skavenslayer probably rank joint second, as it really depends on whether your more in the mood for some comic skaven warfare or a little more dangerous foe for Gotrek and Felix (and Co.) to face.

Dragonslayer: 9/10

Beastslayer brings out group back to the chaos wastes, looking to help save the Empire from a huge Chaos Invasion (not an Archaon one for those who keep track of those things). Going to the citadel/fortress city of Pragg, the first bastion against against the chaos hordes, they seek to help the defenders in repelling the invaders. But Pragg is a bastion which would take months to wear down and, unsurprisingly, the chaos horde is fractious, only held together by its warmaster and leader Arek Daemonclaw, a follower of Tzeentch. So when events seem to undermine the city of Praag's ability to holdout against the invading force, treachery is assumed. What follows is a story that further delves in Gotrek's past, and continues the build suspicion about the grand fate which waits for the Slayer. Beastslayer almost has the feel of a murder/cop drama, with investigate and intrigue rife. Tzeentch is the Weaver of Fate and the Great conspirator, and unsurprisingly the story involves a great deal of intertwining plots. The score for Beastslayer is only 8 due to my (somewhat personal) bias towards Skavenslayer and Dragonslayer, but it is still a great William King novel.

Beastslayer: 8/10

Vampireslayer rounds up the 3rd book in the second omnibus, and like the name implies involves the undead of the warhammer world. Warhammer Fantasy vampires have a certain appeal to them, not only do they come in a variety of forms (Necrarch, Von Carstein, Blood Dragon, Lahmian and Strigoi to name the main few), but represent a force of evil in the warhammer world which isn't a follower of chaos (unlike skaven and dark elves, which in many ways are tools of/or twisted by the dark powers, vampires supposedly are a anathema to the powers of chaos, and both forces reject each other). Thus they often seek to dominate the worlds of men, rather than annihilate them. Often beings of immense age and magical powers, they present a very intriguing character for Gotrek and Felix to face. Unlike Daemons and Dragons, a vampire is or was a man(woman) at some point or another, and often has character features or flaws which are entirely human. This story presents a more Von Carstein vampire (for those that don't know, think standard Dracula style, with a bit of necromancy).Vampireslayer is probably a little bitter-sweet by Gotrek and Felix standards, and whilst gripping, doesn't leave me with that same feeling to grab my axe and go to the pub. For that i give it an 8.

Vampireslayer: 8/10

P.S.  I found this whilst double checking i wasn't making any mistakes, someone has gone to the trouble of creating as accurate a timeline for the Gotrek and Felix saga. It's an impressive piece of work, so I thought I'd'd post it here and give full kudos to kalevalahammer, the site it is hosted on, great work :) http://kalevalahammer.webs.com/timelinegotrekfelix.htm

Gotrek and Felix 1st omnibus (Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer)

Gotrek and Felix are probably the most famous duo from the warhammer fantasy universe. Gotrek is a slayer, a dwarf who has earned some great shame, and seeks atonement through death. So great do dwarves feel the weight of shame that the only resolution is to seek an honourable death. But for a dwarf not to seek to win in combat would be dishonourable, thus do they seek victory even whilst they seek death. Some dwarves are so skilled (unlucky) that they keep staying alive, but the longer they stay alive the more unhappy and disagreeable they become (for a race already holding a slight disposition towards grumbling). This helps set the foundation for Gotrek. Felix on the other-hand is a man of the Empire, who was an aspiring poet before a mishap in a duel with a fellow college student resulted in his death. Thus expelled from his position, in a fit of drinking he agrees to chronicle the story of Gotrek's demise. But not until the morning does the full depth of what that commitment means sink in, nor is he aware of just how capable a combat Gotrek truly is. Thus most stories for the Gotrek and Felix series involve the battling and (normally) destruction of some quite powerful/dangerous opponent(s). All the while generally learning a little bit more about Gotrek and Felix.

Trollslayer is actually a series of short stories written by William King about the adventures of Gotrek and Felix. Generally based in the lands of the Empire, it has a few very key moments in the overall story that stay with them throughout their adventures. Whilst a collection of short stories, William King (the creator of Gotrek and Felix) brings to life the nature of both adventurers, he lays the foundation which has given birth to over 15 books and a number of short stories/audiobooks. If you want to read Gotrek and Felix, I would almost demand that it be read in order, despite regularly making reference back to previous books (with the exception of the most recent few), there is often critical/important information which would otherwise lessen ones enjoyment if you went back to read them.

Trollslayer: 8/10

Skavenslayer is the second book in the series, and involves unsurprisingly the skaven. Besides them being an appropriate enemy for a dwarf, the skaven antagonist provides an element of humour and introduces Gotreks (often unbeknownst) nemesis, Thanquol. The events of Skavenslayer take place in Nuln (i believe) in the Empire, and introduces the infinitely fickle and varied ways in which the skaven operate. A classic in the Gotrek and Felix series. 

Skavenslayer: 9/10

Daemonslayer is the 3rd book in the 1st omnibus, and personally I'd say it's my favourite. It involves so many elements of dwarf nature that it's hard not to love. The stoicism, the determination, the engineering, the axes, the beards, the value of material wealth over their very lives, and the notion of fighting a battle to the very bitter end for their families and honour. Introduce some daemons (not much of a spoiler their), and more background into Gotrek's history and you have everything you could want in a Gotrek and Felix book. Introduction of a few more important characters for the next few books and you have my personal favourite from the 15+ books available.

Daemonslayer: 10/10

Horus Rising- Horus Heresy book 1

Dan Abnett, a regular author for the warhammer 40k genre, brings us the first novel in the now 20+ long series, The Horus Heresy. The Horus heresy is arguably the most singularly defining moment in the warhammer (40k) universe. If you don't know the story, go read about that first, because to be honest you probably don't know very much about warhammer 40k in the first place. Assuming you've done that, then I can go on and explain how this book sets the foundation for Horus Lupercal to become Horus the betrayer.

Horus Lupercal, along with 8 other Primarchs, turned against the emperor, and joined forces with chaos. But how did they fall? How were they seduced? Why weren't they wary of chaos in the first place? Why didn't any external forces intervene? And who were those loyalists troops that ultimately meet their end on Isstvan III? How did the other brothers respond to their treachery? and what twisted their aims and goals so much that they were willing to give up on everything they had fought for up to that point in the Great Crusade?

The first three novels of the Horus Heresy series are, whilst written by different authors, part of a trilogy following the events leading to Horus' fall and the eventual betrayal of loyalists from Sons of Horus, Death guard, Emperor's Children and World Eaters on Isstvan III. Horus Rising details Horus relatively soon after his ascension to Warmaster and the Emperors return back to Terra. It explores the entirely human side of Horus, and introduces a number of previously unknown characters including but not limited to: Garviel Loken, Tarik Torgaddon, Horus Aximand, Saul tarvitz, and Lord-Commander Eidolon. Abaddon and Lucius (the eternal) are present in their pre-heresy form, and the Primarchs Sanguinius and Rogal Dorn have some cameo appearances. Also present in the series are Remembrancers. In typical Dan Abnett fashion, the inclusion of non-astrates personal were vital for the effect story-telling of the heresy, and so the unheard of (ok from my reading) inclusion of poets, historians, dramatists, painters, photographers etc are present aboard Horus battleships, and many other of his brother Primarchs (but not all it is noted). Some of these civilians play important roles in the character development of the Astrates as well as the plot line in the story.

The first book plots the core character, Garviel Loken, in his journey as captain of the 10th company to a member of the Mournival, a not-so-secretive group of four individuals who act as Horus' advisers. It covers the legions exploits on 3 alien worlds/civilisations, and highlights the burden and human nature of Horus and his legion. Without simply going through the whole story, Abnett in his classic fashion pulls you into the different personalities, and tells a wonderful initial tale for the characters. Ultimately Horus Rising is just that, the ever continual rise of Horus Lupercal, First among brothers and Warmaster to the entire Great Crusade. But with the fairly well know end to the story, it's all the more upsetting to see the great and magnificent being he is presented as, knowing his eventual path into darkness will follow.

If you want to read any books in the Horus heresy, read this one, especially if you don't have a massive allegiance to any other (chaos) space marine chapters, and even if you do, this book (and the following 2) are telling the story of the betrayal from the core antagonist (Horus), and thus worth a read for better clarity with the other books worth reading.

Score: 8/10

Black Library Novels

I plan to write a review on those black library novels i get around to reading, or have previously read. A list of those books ive read so far include:

Warhammer Fantasy:
Gotrek and Felix omnibus 1 (Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer)

Gotrek and Felix omnbius 2 (Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer)

Gotrek and Felix omnibus 3 (Giantslayer, Orcslayer, Manslayer)

Gotrek and Felix omnibus 4 (Elfslayer, Shamanslayer, Zombieslayer)
Gotrek and Felix Anthology
Gotrek and Felix Road of Skulls
The Vampire Genevieve (Drachenfels, Genevieve Undead, Beasts in Velvet, Silver Nails)

Warhammer 40k:

Ragnar Blackmane saga omnibus 1-2

(Space Wolf, Ragnar's Claw, Grey Hunter, Wolf Blade, Sons of Fenris and Wolf's Honour)
Ravenor and Eisenhorn Trilogies (Ravenor, Ravenor Returned, Ravenor Rouge and Xenos, Malleus and Heretic as well as a number of short stories)
Ice Warrior

Horus heresy:

Horus Rising
False gods
Galaxy in Flames
Flight of the Einstein
Fulgrim
Legion

Time of legend:

Nagash trilogy (Nagash the Sorcerer, Nagash the unbroken, Nagash immortal)

Sigmar  Trilogy (Heldenhammer, Empire, God King)

The Great Betrayal. 

I've included Audio Books in this list because I plan to cover them as well. More like short stories, there are times where the atmosphere they create can be very enjoyable useful when your hands are busy painting.

Legion of One
Helion Rain
Lightning Tower
Thunder from Fenris
Dark King
Raven's Flight
Gotrek and Felix: Curse of the Everliving